Best Of | 2019

cover by thomas yang|assistant visual editor

best of 2019

the pitt news

volume 109|issue 90

pittnews.com

January 24, 2019

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Best of: Best RA

Pitt medical school dean steps down pittnews.com

STEVIE KISTY: SERVING SMILES ONE RESIDENT AT A TIME Erica Guthrie

Senior Staff Writer

him, the job was as fun as he anticipated it would be, Living in a university residence hall can be a hectic especially because of the people he has met. experience for some first-year students. However, floor “It’s definitely a weird relationship, because on nine of Sutherland West has a resident assistant armed one hand, they’re all such great people and I want with good humor, great listening skills and a griddle to to be their friend so much,” Kisty said. “But I have help them get through it. to keep that professional boundary, because I am “We just had a program where we all had breakfast in still in charge of them, so it’s definitely a fine line beone of the lounges on Sunday morning. Stevie brought in a griddle and made pancakes for us,” Deirdre Nuebel, a tween being friends with them but also being able first-year floor nine resident said. “He will listen to us and to be the authority figure on the floor.” do his best to cater to our needs and wants, and it was a In addition to working with first-year students, great time.”

Kisty also works alongside the rest of Sutherland’s Pittsburgh native Stephen Kisty, known to his resiRAs to create programs for the residents. Prior to Orientation Week, when resident assistants were dents and friends as Stevie, is a sophomore biology and moving into their halls, returning RA Alexis Harold economics major spending the academic year as an RA met Kisty for the first time. Kisty had sent a message in the first-year Honors Living-Learning Community in Sutherland West. His welcoming nature and love for his Stevie Kisty was inspired to become an RA by his own first-year RA, Lejla in the Sutherland RA group chat inviting others to Suljevic. Sarah Cutshall| visual editor stop by and introduce themselves after he moved in. job are part of what earned him the title of Best RA of 2018.

Harold, a junior studying biological sciences, decided As a first-year himself, he was a resident in that same relationships is through having conversations about the resident’s LLC. His RA then, Lejla Suljevic, is who inspired him to to apply for passions and on-campus involvements and trying to find activities to pop in for a visit.

“During RA training week, we’re supposed to write notes to other the position for his second year at Pitt. that suit everyone.

“My RA just made [my first year] such a great experience,” Kisty “So, remembering where they’re from or all the different clubs RAs or like, pro staff that help you through the week. He wrote one to said, “I wanted to do that as well for someone, so that’s why I got into that they’re in, that’s the easiest way I found to connect, and also me, he was like, ‘Oh, it meant a lot that you stopped by my room that it.” through programming and hitting stuff that everyone wants to do,” day,’” Harold said. “I think from that point on, we became really close, and it’s really nice.”

Pitt RAs are expected to put on programs for their floor and resi- Kisty said.

Harold said Kisty has a very strong sense of work ethic, both as an dence halls regularly to get residents involved and help form a comNuebel said Stevie works hard to connect with all of the floor’s munity. One of Kisty’s favorite programs that he helped plan was actu- residents, whether it be through uplifting messages in the floor’s RA and a student. As students in the same class during the fall semesally thrown together quite hastily.

GroupMe chat, listening to their program ideas and making them a ter, she said he was consistently making sure his friends understood “Originally, we had the idea that we wanted to do a ‘painting reality or leaving kind messages on every resident’s door for them to the content and offering to help them study. with a twist’ night, but a lot of different things happened along the find upon returning from Thanksgiving break.

“He’s very hardworking, and you can see that in his pursuit of studway … so it kind of fell apart, but in the two days leading up to it, we “I think one of the best words to describe Stevie is committed. ies,” Harold said. “He’s very much ahead of the game as far as he’s planpulled something together and did a Bob Ross painting night, where He is the type of person that never does anything half-heartedly and ning ahead and having it all together. It’s something that I wish I had.” we followed one of his painting tutorials. It was so much fun and we his job as an RA is definitely a good example of that,” Nuebel said.

After his positive experience this year, Kisty aspires to work in had 40 people come,” Kisty said.

“I think it’s all of those small things that Stevie does that makes him Residence Life again next year. He said he is applying to be a lead RA One of Kisty’s residents, first-year mechanical engineering stu- well liked and trusted by everyone.” for a whole residence hall, meaning he would be in charge of the other dent Warren Lester, said his transition from a small Midwestern priThe job of a resident assistant isn’t only about making connec- RAs in the building and serve as a liaison between the RAs and the vate school to a large state university was difficult, but having Kisty tions with residents on their floor, but also creating programming building’s residence director.

Despite winning best RA, Kisty remains adamant that his success as his RA helped make the process much smoother. and enforcing the rules of the residence halls. Kisty said as a firstis not only due to his work, but because of the residents on his floor “Stevie is one of the most personable people I have ever met,” year resident, he hadn’t realized how much work RAs had to do.

Lester said. “He’s a very inclusive person, he’s very down-to-earth “I would say I wasn’t expecting to do as much behind-the-scenes and the support system he has in his friends and fellow RAs. “I’ve had such an amazing group of people behind me and such and he helped me feel more comfortable in an entirely new group stuff. There’s a lot I didn’t realize last year about the process. We don’t of people.” want our residents to see us dealing with stuff and a lot of the admin- an amazing group of residents that I haven’t even had to work that hard,” Kisty said. “Everything has turned out great because of all of the When it comes to making connections with residents who may istrative stuff,” Kisty said. not share the same interests as him, Kisty said the best way to build Despite this, Kisty said he still loves being an RA. According to people that supported me and the great situation I’m in.”

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January 24, 2019

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Best of: Best Coffee Shop REDHAWK COFFEE SOARS ABOVE COMPETITION

Alexa Marzina Staff Writer

Considering the quality of its beverages, kindness of its staff and coziness of its atmosphere, there’s no question why students flock to Redhawk Coffee to enjoy some nest-level coffee.

Entering its third year of operation in Oakland, Redhawk serves a clientele of a lot of regulars, especially Pitt students in search of something more than burnt coffee from chains. Sean Bailey, a junior studying computer science and philosophy, finds himself at Redhawk almost every day he comes to campus.

Having a craft coffee shop right on Meyran Avenue beats “trekking down to Lawrenceville to go to Espresso a Mano,” Bailey said.

Going to the same place five days a week may seem boring, but not for Bailey. To him, Redhawk has a good atmosphere for doing school work without any of the snobbishness typically associated with specialty coffee shops.

“I’ve never felt like anyone has looked down their nose at me [here],” Bailey said. “It’s very welcoming.”

While the storefront’s size isn’t preferable during the coffee rush hour, being in such close proximity to other guests reinforces togetherness as well as a feeling of community.

Ally Wolf, a barista at Redhawk, started working there in August, and loves the challenge of learning the intricacies of the coffee world and discussing them with patrons.

“You have to learn a lot of things really quickly,” Wolf said. “You don’t wanna be standing around here not knowing what you’re talking about.”

Wolf also loves being part of people’s essential morning ritual of coffee, but said the coffee shop is just as busy throughout the day.

But its cafe location wasn’t always jam-packed.

Before it had a brick-and-mortar store, Redhawk existed solely as a food truck. Senior neuroscience major Alex Hauschild’s first encounter with the avian-named coffee shop was at its mobile location on Election Day two years ago outside of Soldiers & Sailors.

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He was astonished that not only did he get treated to free coffee for doing his civic duty, it was actually good coffee, and not “watereddown stuff.” He was very excited when Redhawk announced the opening of a permanent Oakland Redhawk Coffee owner Braden Walter pours a latte. TPN FILE PHOTO location. a peach flavor, according to Hauschild, so drip Hauschild thinks, in addition to providing quality coffee, coffee and specialty espresso drinks both reign Redhawk creates a tight-knit community out of supreme over those of chain cafes.

“The mochas here are absolutely killer,” its regulars.

“In the best of ways, the community is one that Hauschild said. “It’s like a chocolate milkshake the University strives for … to get people convers- with tiramisu-ness and coffee-ness.”

Unlike most coffee shops, Redhawk doesn’t ing about different things,” Hauschild said.

In fact, Hauschild befriended Bailey by coin- use chocolate syrup to add decadence to its choccidence. The two happened to sit at the same table olatey-espresso beverages — it uses warm chocoin the cafe one day, sparking a bond and cement- late milk instead of white.

“People have a mocha here and they’re like, ing their love for the Redhawk community.

But the good company isn’t the only benefit ‘Oh my god, that’s what a mocha is supposed to Redhawk offers. Its coffee menu boasts simi- taste like!’” Hauschild said.

Based on the plethora of laptops, headphones lar fare to other coffee retailers, but customers appreciate the distinct and nuanced flavor and books in the possession of the coffee shopprofiles that Bailey says simply can’t happen goers, students spend considerable amounts of at high-volume coffee shop chains because of time at Redhawk sipping their brews, studying, writing essays or just watching Netflix. consistency across locations.

“I’ve been the first one here and the last one “It’s hard to hide bad espresso in a cortado,” Bailey said. He thinks coffee chains like Star- out before,” Bailey said.

One of the only gripes about the cafe is its disbucks seem to burn all of their coffee beans, which contributes to that bitter taste that most tance from campus — Hauschild said a 20-minute round trip just isn’t practical for students people claim to hate in coffee.

Hanging on the wall next to the doodads to get great coffee when they can still get some and equipment used to assemble Redhawk’s form of coffee without ever leaving the Cathetasty beverages is a chart of varying coffee fla- dral. While Bailey and Hauschild both acknowledge the convenience of chain coffee shops and vor profiles like fruity, tangy and alkaline.

When rattling off their favorite beverage, having Starbucks coffee in a lot of campus buildboth Bailey and Hauschild had to list a few, ings, they think Redhawk is superior.

“Starbucks, in many ways, becomes insufferstopping to discuss the subtleties of each. The Ethiopian blend has wonderful hints of almost able,” Hauschild said.

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Opinions: Best Convenience Store

ODE TO RITE AID Maggie Koontz

Senior Staff Columnist On my way to and from class, I’ve walked past the Rite Aid on Forbes Avenue more times than I can count. I’ve been at Pitt for almost four years now and it only took three of those years to discover that there are two separate entrances and two entirely different stores known as Rite Aid. The Rite Aid with its entrance on Forbes is more like a drugstore, while the Rite Aid Express on Atwood Street is more like a 7-11. What a totally convenient — and not at all confusing — convenience store. Or is it stores? Anyway, it’s a two-for-one.

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Rite Aid has two entrances — one on Forbes and one on Atwood. Knox Coulter| staff photographer Going to pick up a couple of items should be pretty straightforward, and with Rite Aid, it totally is. Activities like dodging the scaffolding beams as I walk down the sidewalk and watching all those white plastic tarps, which flutter in the wind and are not at all about to fall

on my head, are just business as usual in Oakland.

After flipping a coin to decide which Rite Aid store will have what I need, I open the door and am immediately ambushed by a whole aisle of seasonal stuff.

Yay, Valentine’s Day. These items, like gi-

January 24, 2019

ant teddy bears and bulk chocolate, are obviously essential and more valuable than the space they take up. I take note to buy an expensive stuffed plush and some candy with money I definitely have as a college student.

See Koontz on page 6

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Koontz, pg. 5 Then I proceed to wander the aisles, looking for the few items I need. As I scan the shelves, the harsh lights of the uncovered fluorescents hurt my eyes.

Rite Aid definitely has the best lighting — better than my apartment and some classrooms. It illuminates every aspect of your face, especially highlighting your zits and/or your failed attempts at covering them up.

At least I can see where I’m going.

And so can the employees of Rite Aid, thanks to the high-tech screens in every aisle. Every breath you take, every move you make, Rite Aid is watching you. I feel so safe under the watchful gaze of Rite Aid. Sometimes it can be difficult to find what I need among the broad selection that Rite Aid offers, but at least I know where the important items are. On the back wall, there are the essentials, such as red plastic cups, ping-pong balls and Pedialyte, all of which are vital for college parties. Rite Aid really knows how to cater to its target consumers.

Although I’m usually only there to pick up a soda and a snack for the latenight shift at The Pitt News, I often find myself losing inordinate amounts of time in the void known as the convenience store. Perhaps it has something to do with the background music.

While aimlessly roaming, classic rock plays overhead and I find myself humming along as the music transports my mind to a different decade — a time with better music, cooler clothes and amazing hair. My physical body says 2019, but my soul says 1980s. Rite Aid knows what I need.

I once had a terrible cold and went to Rite Aid to buy cold medicine. I stared at the shelves for ages, trying to pick out the best remedy. Eventually I chose the cheapest option, as college kids inevitably do. I left 40 minutes later, somehow. I am convinced that altering time must be one of the mystical powers of Rite Aid. However, this time it only takes me a couple of minutes to grab a Dr. Pepper and a stick of Rolos — a perfectly balanced meal. Now I am ready to check out. I’ve just got to find the end of the line first. This can be difficult because it snakes down one aisle and and then

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January 24, 2019

splits off, at least once, into two lines, especially in the evenings when I have somewhere important to be.

The inordinate line length is because Rite Aid usually only has one cashier working at a time. I can count the times I have seen two cashiers on one hand. And that poor cashier always looks tired and a little bit dead inside, much like myself, while repeating the same question about Rite Aid’s wellness card over and over to each customer.

A few of the store’s prime customers — college students — stand in front of me in line. A girl in a cute dress purchases a single tin of Altoids while the guy behind her holds a Gatorade and one of those protein snack packs. The girl in front of me wears sweatpants and has a bottle of shampoo in her hand.

I finally make my way to the front of the line and approach the tiny counter that barely has enough room to hold my various purchases. I pile my wares of soda and candy on the small square of counter and the cashier asks me the same question she asked every customer before me and every customer after me.

“Do you have a wellness card?” she says flatly, like every other time.

I say no, like usual, then briefly contemplate if I should get one. The answer is always the same, but it never hurts to dream about those beautiful benefits that Rite Aid offers only to its most special and elite customers.

Is it too late to get a wellness card, even though I’m graduating at the end of the semester? Is it a problem that the only time I go to Rite Aid is when I am in Oakland? Maybe not, since I do stop here a lot. I shake those thoughts from my head when the cashier tells me my total in a monotonous voice.

I pay and then leave with minimal human contact, but even the two sentences the cashier said to me are a little too much for me to bear. I’ve heard CVS has self-checkout machines, so maybe I should go there instead and live the nice, people-free life that I desire.

But I am far too loyal to Rite Aid. This obviously has nothing to do with the fact that Rite Aid is close to my apartment while CVS is a couple of blocks out of my way. I guess Rite Aid really is the best convenience store — or at least it is for me.

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Best of: Best Alcohol THE BEST DRINKS FOR ALL

OCCASIONS AT HEMINGWAY’S Sarah Connor

Culture Editor Hemingway’s Cafe took home three awards for this year’s “Best Of,” including best bar, best 21st birthday destination and best happy hour.

Though the bar is known for its mixed drink pitchers, there are plenty of other adventurous drinks to try no matter the occasion. If you’re celebrating the big 20-fun, taking a muchneeded evening off of studying to take advantage of happy hour or have friends coming in from out of town, Hem’s is the place to go.

Pitt-themed shot pitchers Hemingway’s is wildly popular amongst Pitt students, and the bartenders are well-

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Connor Kazmierczak (left) and Patrick Mehta (right) drink beer at Hemingway’s Cafe. tpn file photo

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aware. On the drink menu at Hem’s, guests will find a number of sweet but strong shot pitchers with names inspired by the culture on campus.

Some of the most popular Pitt-themed pitchers include Sweet Caroline, Cathy on Acid, Pathfinder and Oakland Zoo. The most exciting of the collection is arguably the Oakland Zoo — a tropical delight featuring raspberry Bacardi rum and banana and pineapple flavorings. This fruity mix is topped off with colorful gummy worms, creating an edible zoo in your pitcher.

Hem’s drink menu contains many other shot pitchers that deserve a mention as well.

See Hemingway’s on page 10

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Hemingway’s, pg. 9 Each day of the week, one select pitcher is $4, as opposed to the usual $10 from 10 p.m. to midnight. Some honorable mentions of the non-Pitt-themed shot pitchers include the Orange Crush Shot — which features crackling Pop Rocks candy as garnish — and the Mother of Dragons.

Coffee drinks That’s right, my fellow caffeine addicts, you can get an alcohol-infused hot coffee at Hemingway’s. This is the perfect option for the many cold nights we’ve been experiencing lately. As delicious and satisfying as an icecold beer can be, it might not supply the same effect after walking through the chilling wind and snow of a January night in Pittsburgh.

Warm up while getting lit with one of Hem’s coffee drinks.

My personal favorite is the Almond Joy, which is a steaming mixture of coffee, almond Bailey’s and caramel Smirnoff. It is the perfect mix of the sweet tastes of almond and caramel and the strong flavors of coffee and alcohol, and it comes in a cute mason jar mug.

Other coffee drink options include the Nutty Irishman and the Irish Coffee — both

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are mixtures of coffee and Bailey’s.

Mason Jar Cocktails For a hot summer day, opt for a cold beverage in a cute mason jar. Two of these specialty mixed drinks feature Pitt-themed names as well. South Oakland Iced Tea and Forbes Field are two favorites for Pitt students. You can also go for a classic drink, like a White Russian, but with a flavorful twist of salted caramel.

Forbes Field is my favorite out of the offered mason jar cocktails, mostly because I love strawberries and this drink is chock-full of strawberry flavors. It’s made with Svedka strawberry lemonade vodka, sours, strawberry syrup and Sierra Mist. It is the perfect pick-me-up for a summer night out.

Local drafts Not a fan of the sugary drinks? Hem’s can still deliver to the beer-lovers while staying true to Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania roots.

You can sip on a classic Pennsylvania-brewed Yuengling Lager or Yuengling Black and Tan. Hemingway’s also serves Wyndridge NEIPA, another PA brewed brand.

For a super-local option, beers brewed right here in the ‘Burgh are for sale at Hem’s.

The Helltown Reaper rye ale is brewed in Mount Pleasant and Sobel’s Honey Blossom Hefeweizen is made in New Stanton.

Hemingway’s won the title of best bar, best place to go for your 21st birthday and best happy hour this year. Anna Bongardino| contributing editor

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DELECTABLE DISHES AT THE BEST RESTAURANTS

Neena Hagen Staff Writer

For anyone, ordering at a restaurant can be a daunting ordeal. You hunch over in your seat and flip through a pages-long menu loaded with a dizzying array of appetizers, entrees and even desserts. Scouring those glossy pages for a great meal can feel like searching for a four-leaf clover.

That’s why here at The Pitt News we’re turning to the experts — the people who actually work at Pittsburgh restaurants — to make those decisions for us. Here’s a sampling of employees’ top food picks at Pitt students’ favorite restaurants.

Fuel and Fuddle // Best Late-Night Deals Fuel and Fuddle is well known for its delectable sweet potato fries as well as its unbeatable late-night deals. Students on tight budgets flood the restaurant after 11 p.m. every night to devour a halfpriced meal or down one of the bar’s hundreds of alcoholic beverages.

But as for what to order, bartender Amy Shock says you can’t go wrong with pizza — especially the restaurant’s smashed potato pizza.

“A lot of people come to our restaurant just for the pizza, it’s probably our most popular item,” Shock said.

“I mean, what sounds more appealing than potatoes on pizza? The base is mashed potatoes and then we cover that with bacon, tomato, onion and ranch.”

The smashed potato pizza has been on the menu for more than 15 years, according to Shock, and it’s been a staff and customer favorite ever since it was added to the menu.

“I’ve never heard of anyone not liking it,” Shock said.

Prince of India // Best Indian Food Oakland is home to at least a dozen Indian restaurants, but year after year Prince of India remains Pitt students’

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favorite. According to waiter Ravi Singh, that’s mostly due to some of the restaurant’s chicken dishes.

“Butter chicken and chicken tikka masala are my favorites, and they’re also the most popular orders here,” he said.

The chicken tikka masala has tender morsels of white-meat chicken swimming in a rich tomato cream sauce, garnished with cashews, raisins and infused with an assortment of Indian spices.

“Diners can customize the the spice level of the dish so it’s just to their liking,” Singh said. “That makes it accessible to everyone.”

Stack’d // Best Burgers Plenty of restaurants in Pittsburgh and Oakland serve burgers, but very few let you build your own burger as elaborately as Stack’d. According to waitress Amanda Rivera, that’s partly why the service is so popular.

“Definitely our most popular [dish] is our build-your-own-burger,” Rivera said. “You can choose your meat and whatever sauces and toppings you want.”

Among the restaurant’s dozen-plus toppings are bacon, tomato and lettuce, but also unorthodox ones like onion rings and blue cheese. The restaurant also offers more than 20 sauces from ketchup and mustard to chipotle and pineapple mayo.

For customers who feel intimidated by the build-your-own-burger process, the restaurant also offers more traditional burgers.

“I personally like our veggie burger,” Rivera said. “I know a lot of customers just like our regular Stack’d burger, which is a little easier to swallow.”

Sorrento’s Pizza // Best Pizza A lot goes into making a good See Restaurants on page 14

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BEST OF: BEST OF Food & Drink PIADA ______________ Italian

OISHII BENTO ______________ Japanese

SZECHUAN ______________EXPRESS Chinese

OISHII BENTO ______________ Korean

NOODLEHEAD ______________ Thai

HOKKAIDO ______________

HELLO BISTRO

______________ Vegetarian/Vegan

PRIMANTI’S

______________ Sandwich

SORRENTOS

______________ Pizza

ROC ______________ campus celebrity

RAY JONES ______________ pitt professor

STEVIE KISTY ______________

Ice Cream

pitt ra

BRUEGGER’S

HILLMAN 4TH FLOOR ______________

______________ Bagels

PAMELA’S

______________ Breakfast

STACK’D

______________ Burger

BEST OF ON CAMPUS

SUSHI FUKU ______________ Sushi

PRINCE OF INDIA ______________

DELTA PHI EPSILON ______________

Indian

sorority

DELTA CHI

Middle Eastern

______________ fraternity

FUEL AND FUDDLE ______________

SGB ______________

Half-Price

student group

CHIPOTLE ______________

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL ______________

Lunch

pitt ncaa team

RED HAWK ______________

ULTIMATE FRISBEE ______________

Coffee

club sports team

STACK’D ______________

MAGGIE KENNEDY ______________

Wings

SGB member

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pitt athlete

MILLIE’S ______________

Buffet

ALI BABA ______________

KENNY PICKETT ______________

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place to study

NORDENBERG ______________

VOTER’S PICKS

HEMINGWAYS ______________

PRIMANTI’S ______________

21st birthday spot

sports bar

GARAGE DOOR SALOON ______________

GENE NEY ______________

karaoke

local bartender

STACK’D ______________

SPEARMINT ______________ RHINO

game-day special

adult entertainment

MELLINGER’S ______________

CARNEGIE NATURAL HISTORY ______________

beer distributor

museum

FUEL AND FUDDLE ______________

WTAE ______________

beer

local tv station

HOFBRÄUHAUS ______________

residence hall

BEST OF Services

college night

AUSTRIAN ______________

MIAMI ______________

Nationality room

PUCCINI ______________

spring break spot

BEST OF College FUEL AND FUDDLE ______________

BEST OF Culture

salon

GOODWILL URBAN OUTFITTERS ______________ ______________ clothing store

STEELERS ______________

LITTLE’S SHOES ______________

PITTSBURGH TEAM

shoe store

THE CLARKS ______________

HERTZ ______________

local band

rental company

MARKET DISTRICT ______________

EMPIRE TATTOO ______________

BIGELOW BASH

grocery store

piercing / tattoo

HEMINGWAYS

Movie theatre

HEMINGWAYS

live music venue

Late-night menu

RUSSIAN FAIRY TALES

______________ Course at pitt

BIGELOW BASH

______________ ppc event ______________ on-campus event

RITE AID

______________ Convenience store thrift / vintage

WYNDHAM

______________ hotel

THE WATERFRONT

______________ area to shop

YOGA FLOW

______________ place for yoga

AMC/LOEWS ______________

______________ bar in oakland

STAGE AE ______________

______________ happy hour

CRUZE ______________ lgbtQ+ bar

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Restaurant, pg. 11 pizza, and Sorrento’s has made some of Pitt students’ favorite pizza for the past 40 years. With eight different flavors and four different styles, there’s lots to choose from, but line cook Finn Dougherty thinks the veggie lover’s pizza edges out the rest.

“I like the veggie lover’s,” Dougherty said. “Just a regular cheese pizza with mushrooms, black olives, banana peppers, green peppers and onions.”

Dougherty shared her secret for ensuring every pizza comes out of the oven with the right consistency.

“I like to brush the crust with olive oil before I put the pizza sauce on so it gets nice and crispy,” Dougherty said.

To Dougherty, the consistency, flavor and appearance of Sorrento’s pizza comes together best in the veggie lover’s.

“All the veggies combine their flavors together nicely,” Dougherty said. “It also just looks really pretty and colorful.”

Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream // Best Ice Cream After finishing lunch or dinner at one

Fuel and Fuddle offers discounted meals after 11 p.m., helping it earn best of half price and best of late-night menu. Fuel and Fuddle also won best of beer. tpn file photo of Pitt’s favorite restaurants, students can head to Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream in Shadyside for dessert. The gourmet shop boasts several different flavors, which rotate every few months, for Pitt students to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Among the staff ’s favorites, according to cashier Jasmine Lonesome, is

cookie dough.

“My personal favorite is the cookie dough,” Lonesome said. “The flavor of the cookie is slightly salty, which is different than in most cookie dough ice creams.”

The cookie dough can also satisfy your childlike curiosity, said Lonesome,

because the shop puts in differently sized chunks of dough in the ice cream to surprise customers.

“Taking a big spoonful, you don’t know if you’ll get a small or large chunk,” Lonesome said. “Uncertainty can be exciting … and it’s better than any ice cream I’ve ever had.”

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Best Course at Pitt (RUSS 0900) two years in a row.

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Koshchei the Deathless and Steampunk Baba-Yaga salute their apprentices!

Why take the course? Here are accolades from three former students:

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Freud: “We want to live and we are afraid of the unknown. That’s why we invent fairy tales.”

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Jung: “It is wise to nourish the soul. Otherwise, you will breed dragons and devils in your heart.”

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Einstein: “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you wish them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”

Russian Fairy Tales: not for the faint of heart.

See you in the fall (when the weather turns cold). pittnews.com

January 24, 2019

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The Pitt News SuDoku 1/24/19 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

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Best of: Best Club Sport PITT MEN’S ULTIMATE BRINGS ‘END OF DAYS’ TO OPPONENTS Nick Carlisano Staff Writer

In Marvel comic book lore, Apocalypse is a mutant supervillain with fantastic abilities whose goal is to remake the world to his liking. He’s since proven to be one of the most powerful and popular villains in Marvel history.

So it’s quite fitting that this year’s best club sport — Pitt men’s Ultimate, one of the most dominant Ultimate Frisbee teams in the nation — also goes by Apocalypse’s true name, En Sabah Nur. Pitt men’s Ultimate started in the spring of 1998 when a group of first-years began playing pickup games behind the Cost Center. The next fall, the group created an official Ultimate Frisbee club team that would go on to make it to nationals

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Andrew Lehmberg has recently returned to the field after recovering from a knee injury. Pitt men’s ultimate team is one of the best in the nation, having qualified for nationals every year since 2005. Anna Bongardino| contributing editor Members of the Ultimate Frisbee team credit 14 times in a row.

“I think that we are the hardest-working team its success to numerous things, including rigorous in the country every year in terms of time we put tryouts and a strong team bond.

The first week of school, the team starts the in,” fifth-year senior and captain Hafeez Shams process of determining which individuals get to said.

January 24, 2019

join the team by holding open pickup games on the Cathedral Lawn.

The pickup games lead into a 4-vs.-4 tournament for anyone still willing to sign up. From there, the team picks individuals for a narrowed down, invite-only tryout. After several weeks, Pitt men’s Ultimate finds its guys — 22 to 25 competitors hoping to win a championship.

Make no mistake, that title is a possibility every single year.

Following three regular season spring tournaments, Ultimate Frisbee teams will participate in playoffs against local teams. Several of the top local teams head to regionals, hoping to be one of the few squads that earn a bid to nationals. En Sabah Nur doesn’t usually have much to worry See Frisbee on page 18

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January 24, 2019

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Frisbee, pg. 16 about, having qualified for nationals every year since 2005.

Last season, the team fell to North Carolina 14-10 in the championship, its best finish since it won back-to-back titles in 2012-13.

One of the biggest perks for members of Pitt’s Ultimate Frisbee team is getting to join a brotherhood of Frisbee pros and create lasting memories.

Ben Morgenstern, a fifth-year computer science major, joined the team his junior year and has risen to the position of captain, despite tearing his ACL against Stanford last year and sitting out most of the season. One memory from his time playing has truly stood out from all the rest.

Last year at nationals, Pitt was losing to the University of Massachusetts early in the quarterfinals. In order to make something happen, the coach put in the second line, which included Morgenstern.

Morgenstern forced a turnover and Pitt scored.

“The next point, he called the starters back on, but then put me back on the line and I was playing with my brother,” Morgenstern said. “That was my brother’s last year, he was

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graduating after that, so it was just really great to finally have been able to make the team and play with him in a big-time game.”

Shams, a finance and business information systems major hailing from just outside Chicago, remembers a semifinal game of last year’s nationals against rival Carleton College.

“We were the nine-seed at the tournament and they were the two-seed. Most people thought they were going to win or take second,” Shams said. “There was this moment where they looked shook and were very quiet in their time-out and we were doing a yell because we were up 8-6.”

At that moment, Pitt could tell, just by Carleton’s body language, that it had won.

“At one point, us and the women’s team took over the entire area singing ‘Sweet Caroline’ as loud as we could,” Shams said. “That whole semifinal game experience was my favorite.”

Head coach Nick Kaczmarek, a teacher at Pittsburgh’s Environmental Charter School, has been coaching the men’s team since the 2011-12 season. Kaczmarek has had the opportunity to coach numerous local high school teams at the same time, allowing him to create bonds with high school players who then go on to play for him with En Sabah Nur.

That was the case for one athlete, Trent Dillion, in particular.

“We were down 8-3 and he’s running down the field to catch the goal to tie the game,” Kaczmarek said. “That’s one of the most vivid memories I’ve ever had coaching, just seeing him run down the field and having flashbacks to him as a younger player and then seeing him as a graduate student at Pitt was pretty special.”

Pitt men’s Ultimate went on to win it all that year. And although on-field success is a staple of the program, it’s what goes on off the field that helps it take its play to the next level. En Sabah Nur is nearly inseparable off the field.

This hasn’t gone unnoticed by first-year Aiden Landis, a chemical engineering major.

Although his time with En Sabah Nur has been brief, the older players have already made him feel welcome.

“We all hang out together and I think that’s great for building relationships,” Landis said. “As soon as you’re on the team it’s super inviting, even during the tryout process. They do a great job of making everyone feel included.”

From playing “Fortnite” together to grabbing lunch to the yearly team Thanksgiving, Pitt men’s Ultimate does everything it can to make sure the

January 24, 2019

team stays connected. Members of the team have even ventured to Pinnacles and Yosemite national parks together.

“Yosemite was one the coolest things I’ve ever seen,” Shams said. “We climbed up this mountain and got right next to one of the waterfalls.

We stayed at this really cool lake house for the week. Getting to see Yosemite with some of my closest friends is my favorite off-field memory.”

Spending so much time together is one of several factors that separates Pitt men’s Ultimate from the majority of teams in the country. The two captains also ensure focus, preparation and effort contribute to the team’s success.

“Having the mental fortitude to focus and not get nervous help to put us above other teams,” Morgenstern said. “And being so close is a huge part of [our success].”

The players’ hard work does not go unnoticed by Kaczmarek and he agrees it’s part of what separates his team from others.

“It’s a bunch of guys that are really committed to doing everything they can to be ready for big situations,” Kaczmarek said. “More than that, there’s also a lot of trust between everyone on the team. Just to see a bunch of people work so hard to really know and trust each other on and off the field, that’s a beautiful thing that this team does really well.”

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TAKE 5: Pitt Athletics

The Pitt News Staff

Pitt Athletics had some highs and lows this year, but in every situation there was a player or team that stood out above the rest. Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall helped turn Pitt’s football season around and lead the Panthers to a historic season. The volleyball and soccer teams both made history this year, as volleyball only lost one regular season game and soccer advanced to the semifinals of the ACC tournament, led by sophomore Edward Kizza. Last but not least, there’s athletic director Heather Lyke, whose decision to fire former basketball head coach Kevin Stallings and hire Jeff Capel, current men’s basketball head coach, has reenergized the program.

Qadree, the man Qadree Ollison has easily been Pitt’s best athlete this season across all sports. He, along with fellow senior running back Darrin Hall, made for an electrifying run game for the Panthers. Ollison was an integral part of the Panthers’ victory in the ACC Coastal Division and appear-

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Kenny Pickett (8) and Qadree Ollison (30) celebrate after a successful play during the team’s loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game.

Thomas Yang| assistant visual editor ance in the ACC Championship for the first time in school history.

Ollison produced a plethora of unforgettable moments this season, making it hard to just choose one. The one play that stands out is his 97-yard touchdown run against Virginia Tech, featuring an unforgettable stiff arm — the whole play was a moment fans will never forget.

At the beginning of the season, some fans thought Hall would be the main running back for Pitt this year. It turned out a two-headed monster in the backfield was going to be the outcome for the season. When fans’ spirits were down, Ollison was there to pick them up. When fans’ spirits were up, Ollison kept them up. It’s likely that Pitt fans will find themselves comparing the running backs of the future to that of the best Pitt athlete of 2018, Qadree Ollison.

- Tyler Moran Homecoming heroics After five games, Pitt football was sitting at 2-3 and looked like it was headed for another subpar year. The team had been demolished by both Penn State and Central Florida, while suffering yet another disappointing loss to a bad UNC team.

The early October homecoming game against a stout Syracuse team changed all that.

Pitt prevailed 44-37 in a back-and-forth contest that needed overtime to decide the winner, leading to the victory that changed the course

January 24, 2019

of Pitt’s season. A third loss in a row would have been devastating. Instead, the Panthers went on to win four of the next five en route to their first Coastal Division crown.

The defense and Darrin Hall really stood out over the course of the rainy matchup. The defense came up with key stops and produced three turnovers. Junior corner Dane Jackson’s fumble return for a score was a thing of beauty and sophomore corner Therran Coleman’s pick in overtime to seal the game was one of the plays of the year. The defense would be key in the stretch that secured the Coastal, as the unit kept Pitt in the game against playoff-bound Notre Dame and shut down Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

After a quiet start to the year, Hall got going against the Orange. He racked up more than 100 yards and two scores that day. Hall would go on to score five more touchdowns, including a monster 200-yard, three-touchdown performance against Virginia. He would also join fellow senior Qadree Ollison in rushing for more than 1,000 yards.

See Take 5 on page 20

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Take 5, pg. 19 While Pitt’s season ended at an average 7-7 record, it very easily could have been much worse.

But the gritty defeat of the Orange helped boost the Panthers to their first division title, making it one of the best Pitt sports moments this year.

- Nick Carlisano From Barnes’ blunder to Heather’s heroics For the last two years, the Pitt basketball program had been as abandoned and desolate as the arena in which it played.

With two sellouts, two ACC wins and the full-blooded return of the famed Oakland Zoo atmosphere all within the first few months of Jeff Capel’s first season as head coach, Kevin Stallings’ tenure now serves only as a reminder of how far this program has come in such a short time.

This remarkable turnaround and the progression the team continues to show each game on and off the court only highlight how important Heather Lyke’s decision to fire Stallings was, making that the best Pitt Athletics moment of the year.

Even before Dixon’s resignation to take the job at Texas Christian University, Pitt fans had grown restless over Dixon’s struggles to adapt to the ACC. Instead of making drastic moves after Dixon left, then-athletic director Scott Barnes hired Stallings. This time around, Lyke got Pitt the upgrade it so desperately needed in Capel.

Lyke’s decision showed the athletic department would not stand by while a once-proud program was reduced to an ACC doormat by an overpaid, overmatched coach. Sure, there was plenty of uncertainty during what turned out to be a very extended coaching search, but its conclusion and Capel’s subsequent hiring inspired feelings in Pitt basketball fans that had seemed far off in the two years of Stall-Ball — belief in the leadership of the program at all levels.

- Ben Bobeck Pitt volleyball produces mad (s)kills After disastrous 2017 seasons for Pitt’s basketball and football teams, morale for fans of Pitt Athletics was low. Without having a traditional team to get behind, students turned to the volleyball team for their weekly adrenaline rush.

Even with more promising performances from the football (7-7) and men’s basketball team (currently 12-7) this year, fans still showed love to the volleyball team, which kept up its stellar performance this season. For the second year in a row, the team made it all the way to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

With even more students showing up to pack the Fitzgerald Field House this year, volleyball games felt as energizing and electric as the men’s

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January 24, 2019

basketball game against No. 2 Duke on Tuesday.

The ladies of Pitt volleyball carried the load of Pitt Athletics going into this school year, making each of their performances special, winning blowouts, even-skilled matchups and hardfought battles.

As a Pitt sports fan, the volleyball team was the best and most exciting team to watch in 2018.

The team’s athleticism, confidence and camaraderie dotted every matchup as if it were the most important one, and that is something that still can’t be said of our basketball and football teams.

- Alexa Marzina Edward Kizza: Pitt men’s soccer fiery scorer Sophomore forward Edward Kizza absolutely lit up the ACC with the Pitt men’s soccer team this year. With 15 goals in 18 games for the Panthers this year, Kizza was an instrumental part of the offensive as Pitt battled toward a great run in the ACC Tournament.

Along the way, the Panthers upset major tournament favorites including No. 6 ranked Virginia to record their first ACC Tournament win since joining the conference in 2013. Kizza scored both goals in that memorable 2-0 win.

The future is bright for Pitt men’s soccer with Edward Kizza at the forefront, and he is the Pitt athletic star who shined the brightest this year.

Born in Kampala, Uganda, Kizza traveled to Montverde Academy in Florida to pursue his passion of playing soccer. His outstanding play resulted in a chance to play for a top collegiate program in Pitt. He didn’t disappoint in his first year, tallying 11 points in 15 appearances. Kizza came in second in Pitt team point totals and received ACC All-Freshman Team and All-ACC Academic Team honors.

This past season, Kizza really excelled. He tied for fifth in total goals scored in the entire NCAA and topped the ACC in scoring. The Panthers finished in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, with their best result in years and Kizza stands out as the main offensive target for Pitt going forward. He finished the season as No. 45 in TopDrawerSoccer’s list of the Top 100 Men’s College Soccer list and No. 10 in their list of the Top 20 in the ACC. Kizza was the centerpiece for a Pitt Panther team on the rise in the ACC, giving Pitt fans something truly spectacular to take in through his fantastic goals that repeatedly meant the difference between a win or a loss for Pitt. With a great 2018 behind him, Kizza is bound to continue his amazing play for the men’s soccer team in games to come.

- Ben Zimmer

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January 24, 2019

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